Three takeaways as 49ers trail Cardinals 6-3 at halftime

Here are three takeaways from Sunday’s first half as the host 49ers trail the Arizona Cardinals 6-0:

1. Ellington’s fumble: The Cardinals turned Bruce Ellington‘s muffed punt return into an eventual 26-yard field goal and 3-0 lead. The Cardinals regained possession at the 49ers’ 39-yard line, and they settled for the field goal once Carson Palmer’s third-down pass fell incomplete toward a diving Larry Fitzgerald in the end zone, with Jimmie Ward pursuing Fitzgerald.

2. Gabbert intercepted: One play after Garrett Celek exited with a serious ankle injury, Blaine Gabbert had a pass intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu at the Cardinals 43-yard line with 1:55 left in the first quarter. Mathieu accounted for two of the Cardinals’ four interceptions against Colin Kaepernick – and Mathieu returned his first for a touchdown – in a 47-7 rout on Sept. 27. The Cardinals converted Mathiue’s interception into an eventual 41-yard field goal, but only after Tramaine Brock dropped a third-down interception in the end zone on the preceding snap.

3. Bland offense: It took Phil Dawson’s 53-yard field goal as time expired for the 49ers to avoid a first-half shutout. But they did get blanked in the first quarter for a third straight game, and they haven’t scored a first-quarter touchdown all season. The 49ers did outgain the Cardinals 140 yards to 128, thanks largely to the 49ers defensive heroics of Eric Reid (fourth-down pass defense) and Michael Wilhoite (third-down tackle for a loss). The 6-3 deficit was much improved from their last meeting, when Arizona raced out to a 31-7 halftime lead.